Among a variety of developed technologies, conventional technologies such as Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) or ZigBee focus on mutually searching for and using services of devices within a specific Personal Area Network (PAN), while tethering focuses on connections between heterogeneous networks.
Compared to the simple PAN, the concept of CPNS has been proposed.
The CPNS allows access to services from devices belonging to a Personal Network (PN) or PAN.
The CPNS is implemented through a CPNS server, a CPNS GateWay (GW), and CPNS-supporting devices. Besides, general servers and general devices may exist for the CPNS.
The CPNS is based on a PN. A group of devices form a PN, a CPNS GW is placed in the PN, and services of the devices belonging to the PN are registered to the CPNS server. Then a device that provides a specific service can be searched for in the CPNS server so that an external entity may share the service from the device.
The CPNS GW (also called PN GW) functions to connect the PN to another network. A CPNS device is also called a Personal Network Entity (PNE) which is a member of the PN. A group of devices may form a PNE or a single device may be a PNE.
FIG. 1 is an exemplary view illustrating the concept of the CPNS.
General servers, CPNS servers, CPNS GWs, CPNS devices, and general devices are shown in FIG. 1.
A CPNS server may communicate with one or more CPNS GWs (i.e. PN GWs) and thus may transmit data to or receive data from the CPNS GWs. Each CPNS server may exchange data with one or more CPNS devices within a PN (or PAN) by communicating with them.
Each of the CPNS devices may transmit data to or receive data from one or more other CPNS devices or general devices through a CPNS GW.
The CPNS GW may transmit data to or receive data from a CPNS server within the same or a different PN, or CPNS devices by communicating with the CPNS server or the CPNS devices.
Each CPNS server may transmit data to or receive data from a general server and a CPNS GW by communicating with them.
For example, the CPNS GW may communicate with the CPNS server over a cellular network and with a CPNS device by short-range communication, for example, by Bluetooth, Near Field Communication (NFC), ZigBee, Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), etc.
The CPNS server can improve user experience by managing and controlling communication between the CPNS GW and the CPNS device and thus allowing exchange of applications and information between the CPNS GW and the CPNS device. For example, a user may acquire position information from another CPNS device (e.g. a Global Positioning System (GPS) device) through one CPNS device, transmit the position information to the CPNS server through the CPNS GW, and receive a location-based service from the CPNS server.
As a consequence, the user can receive various services through a plurality of CPNS devices within the PN.